Merchandiser-envelop.



W. E, SWIFT.

MERCHANDISE ENVELOP.

APPLICATION man MAR. 1.3, 1914.

1,155,016., Patentedept. 28, 1915.

. ing the present invention,

., WIL'LARD n. SWIFT,

lor Woacns'rnn, nivvnnorn COMPANY, Main-n. f

`\; iinacnannisE-nnvnror.

i Specification of LettersPatent.

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR'TO UNITED STATES OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF rammed sept. es, i915.

Appiication mea March is, 1914. serial No. 824,519.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, Winnaar) E. Swirr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and .Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Merchandise-Envelope, of which the follow-v ing, taken in conneotion'with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. The present invention relates tothat class of merchandise envelops in which the closing flap of the envelop is secured in its closed position tothe bodyjof the envelop by means o'f a metallic fastener having one or more bendable tongues adapted to be inserted through 'one or more openings in said closing flap, and bent overupon the outside of said flap. In its preferred form the invention contemplates, in addition to the above, the provision of novel means for securing the metallic fastener to the body of the envelop, whereby to securely and rigidly maintain the bendable tongues in position to be passed through the opening provided therefor in the closing flap. The above and other objects are attained by the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, and illustrated in the accompanyingv drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of one end of a merchandise envelop embodying my invention, the closing flap being shown in open position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the closing flap being shown. in closed position. Fig. 3 is a plan view oftheinner side of a portion of the two side flaps of the envelop, illustrating the -method of securing the metallic fastener to the body of the envelop. Fig. 4e is a side view of one metallic fastener, ready -for attachment to the body of an envelop. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the fastener shown in Fig. L1. Fig. 6 is a view representing one stage in the manfacture of a number of fasteners.

- Like reference characters are-used to designate like parts inthe different figures.

' Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes a portion of a merchandise envelop embodyhaving a closing flap 2 and a metallic fastener provided, inthe present instance. with a pair of bendable tongues 4 and 5. The latter, when the fastener is appli as hereinafter set forth, lie flat against the partially separated from the with the edges of the d to the body of` the envelop,

envelop as represented in Fig. 1, but. are capable of b cing bent at right angles thereto, solas to bring the' tongues 4 and 5 parallel to each other and enabletheir tipsto be inserted through a suitable opening 6 in the closing flap, when the latter is folded over in its closing position, opening 6 is preferably reinforced by 'attaching an adhesive strip 7 of firm paper or cloth to t-hel inner side of the closing flap. After insertion of the tongues L1 and 5 through the opening 6. the tongues are bent outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, to securely retain the flap 2 in its closed position.

My improved metallic fastener is preferably formed from a continuous ribbon-like strip of metal, of suitable width, indicated by breken lines at 8 in Fig. 6. From the metallic ribbon 8 the individual fasteners are out by a suitable punch and die, which sever the strip at intervals, equal to the-desired length of the fastener, upon oppositely curved lines 9' and 10, the only Waste of material occurring consisting of a small strip 11 between adjacent fasteners. The punch and die are also capable, at the saine movenient, of cutting-'two pairs of slits 12, 12 on opposite edges of the ribbonl at oblique an- Vgles to said edges, as shown in Fig. 6. Fur- Athermore, 'the same movement of the punch and die bends each triangular 'piece .thus body of the fastene1,iipon a line 13 at an oblique angle to the corresponding edge ofthe ribbon, as shown in Fig. 5, to form uponeach edge of the fastener a pair of pointed prongs 14, 1a standing at right angles to thebody fastener'. Each fastener is attached to an envelop` by pressing the pointed prongs 1a through the bodyv of the envelop, and then jclenching said prongs upon the inside, by. ybending them inwardly toward each other,

and toward the ends of the envelopLon the lines 13, as shown in iig. 3.' Owing to the angle formed by the lines of bending l?) fastener, the turnec down prongs 14,-shown in Fig.v 3, obtain a wider holding surface in the body of the envelop than if they were bent on lines at right angles to the edges of the metallic ribbon. as will be readily-apparent. Consequently, the tendency of the fastener to tearyloose from the body of the envelop, or to rock sidewise thereon, is eectualiy resisted by reason of of the as shown iniFig. 2. The

envelop. l t,

By'-the above described method of conthe relatively ,large base surface obtained therefor by the specific fastening means above described. t

The lformation of the pointed vprongs 14 from the body of the fastener reduces the Width of the same at the bases of said prongs, forming necks 15, 15, and thereby weakening the tongues l and at this point, so that the bendingof the latter, both in opening and closing the flap 2, is readily accomplished. Between the necks 15, 15 the `fastener is of normal Width, to form a head 16, whichl constitutes a supporting .surface for the l struction, an ent-ire fastener can be made of suitable'uni-form Width 'from a strip or ribbon of sheet metal'of uniormwidth; The lonly Work required to be iperformed -upon the metal ribbon consists in cutting the oblique-slits 12, bending down the prongs on the diagonal lines 13,and severling the ribbon vinto suitable lengths to form the bendablev tongues. Fasteners so constructedare very vrapidly and cheaply made from a continuousribbon of thin sheet metal to form thehead I claim, 1. A merchandise envelop, having an opening in its closing flap, and provided 16 and tongues and 5.

. metal plate havinga pair of fastener'against the body of the l Vitnesses:

with a metallic fastener comprising a sheet y along` its edge by means'of converging slits on opposite ysides of its center, said prongs being inserted through the body portion of the envelop and clenched upon the inside of the same, with the portions of said plate beyond the base portions of said prongs adapted to lie parallel and in substantial juxtaposition when bent upwardly. for insertion through the opening of said closing flap.

2. A merchandise envelop, having an opening in yits closing flap, and provided with a metallic fastener/comprising a 'sheet metal plate having a pair 'of prongs formed along its edge by means of kconverging slitson opposite sides of its center, said prongs being bent on lines vat oblique angles to said edge and inserted through the body portion of the envelop and clenched .upon the inside of the same, with the portions of said plate beyond the base portions of said prongs adapted to lie parallel and in substantial juxtaposition when bent upwardly for insertion through the opening of said closing a gated this twelfth day of March 1914.

yVILLARD E. SWIFT.

PENELOPE COMBERBAGH, NELLIE VVHALEN.

prongs formed 

